Chapter 77
Aria POV
That Evening
Noah was finally asleep after three stories and two glasses of water. I closed his door quietly and headed back to the living room where Damien waited.
“He’s out,” I reported, collapsing onto the couch beside him. The leather was cool against my bare arms. I could smell the faint scent of Damien’s cologne mixed with the wine he’d opened.
“Good.” Damien handed me a glass of wine. His fingers brushed mine as I took it, the glass was cold and smooth. “We need to talk about your idea p>
“My idea p>
“The one I saw forming when the detective called.” He turned to face me as his knee touched mine. “You want to draw Marcus out. Use ourselves as bait p>
“It’s the only way.” I sipped the wine. “He won’t stop, Damien. He’ll keep escalating until someone gets hurt. So we control when and where he makes his move p>
“It’s dangerous p>
“Everything is dangerous right now.” I set down my glass on the coffee table as it made a soft clink. “At least this way we have a chance to end it p>
“And if something goes wrong p>
“Then we make sure Noah is somewhere safe. With Olivia, or your security team, or”
“No.” His voice was flat and hard. “I won’t risk you like that p>
“You don’t get to decide.” I met his eyes, they were darker than usual in the dim lighting. “This is my fight too. Marcus kidnapped my son, threatened him, planted bugs in the room we stayed in and stalked us. I deserve to face him p>
“I know.” He ran his hand through his hair. I watched the dark strands fall back into place. “But the thought of you in danger, of Marcus hurting you”
“He won’t.” I took his hand, his palm was warm and slightly rough. “Because you’ll be there p>
His fingers laced through mine, they were longer than mine, stronger. “Together p>
“Always,” I whispered.
“Aria.” His free hand cupped my face, his palm was warm against my cheek. I could feel the slight calluses on his thumb. “If we do this, if we set this trap—I need to know you’ll be careful. That you won’t take unnecessary risks p>
“Same goes for you p>
“I mean it.” His thumb brushed my cheek, the touch was gentle. “I can’t lose you again I don’t think I will be able to survive it p>
“You won’t lose me.” I leaned into his touch, his hand was solid and real. “We’re going to end this, protect Noah, and move on with our lives p>
“What lives?” His eyes searched mine. I could see the flecks in the blue. “Together or separate p>
The question I’d been avoiding.
“I don’t know,” I admitted but my throat felt tight. “I don’t know if I can forgive what you did. If I can trust you not to hurt me again p>
“I understand.” He looked like I’d stabbed him, but he nodded. His hand dropped from my face, the spot where it had been felt cold. “But can you at least give me a chance to prove I’ve changed p>
“You’re already proving it.” I gestured around, the room smelled like the lavender candle burning on the mantle. “This—living together, being Noah’s father, standing beside me instead of running—you’re proving it every day p>
“Then why won’t you let me in?” His voice cracked. I could hear the pain in it. “Why do you still look at me sometimes like I’m the enemy p>
“Because you were!” The words burst out, my heart was pounding now. I could feel it in my chest, in my throat. “You broke me. Destroyed me, threw me away like I was nothing p>
“I know”
“No, you don’t!” I pulled away, standing. The floor was cold under my bare feet. “You don’t know what it’s like to love someone who looks through you like you’re invisible. To carry their child while they deny you both exist. To rebuild yourself from nothing because the person who was supposed to protect you tried to destroy you instead p>
He stood too, his face twisted with pain. I could see the muscle in his jaw working. “You’re right. I don’t know. But I want to understand, Aria. I want to hear every moment of pain I caused you so I can spend the rest of my life making up for it p>
“You can’t make up for it!” Tears were hot on my face now. They blurred my vision, i could taste the salt when they reached my lips. “You can’t give me back those years. Can’t erase the nights I cried myself to sleep or the mornings I woke up terrified I couldn’t provide for Noah, you can’t undo the damage p>
“Then let me build something new.” He closed the distance between us. I could feel the heat of his body. “Something better. Let me show you that love doesn’t have to hurt, that you can trust me with your heart and I won’t break it again p>
“How?” I sobbed but my chest hurts. “How do I trust you when every instinct tells me you’ll hurt me again p>
“Because I love you.” His hands framed my face. They were warm and slightly shaking, his forehead pressed to mine. I could feel his breath on my lips. “I love you more than my company, more than my pride, more than my own life. And I will spend every day proving that until you believe it p>
“Damien”
He kissed me, his lips were soft and warm. I could taste the wine we’d both been drinking. The kiss was gentle, almost desperate.
I kissed him back, tasting my own tears mixed with salt and wine. I could feel his heart beating against my chest. His hands slid into my hair as the touch sent shivers down my spine.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathless. His chest rose and fell rapidly while could feel my own pulse racing.
“I can’t promise I’ll forgive you,” I whispered. My voice was hoarse from crying. “Not yet p>
“I know p>
“But I can promise to try.” I touched his face, his stubble was rough under my fingers. “To give you a chance to show me you’ve changed p>